


The New Collective

by soraniknatu



Category: Star Trek: Picard
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Borg Technology can bring people back from the Dead, Kissing, M/M, Seven is kind of the third wheel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:20:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23439841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soraniknatu/pseuds/soraniknatu
Summary: Assimilation by the Borg left nanotech embedded so deep, it was impossible to remove it all.When the Cube began to heal itself, it began to heal Hugh.
Relationships: Elnor/Hugh | Third of Five
Comments: 5
Kudos: 68





	The New Collective

**Author's Note:**

> Leave comments if you enjoy the story! I love to read them.

The XBs had found him just as Seven had reawaken the Cube. 

The Cube woke from Its coma and began to heal itself. Hugh had always been a Borg. The external implants may have been removed but his blood and his cells still had Borg nanotechnology that could never be removed. 

The nanotech drew power from the Cube, healing itself and Hugh’s organic material with it. The wound on his neck stitched itself back together, the electrical activity in his brain came back online like a computer restarting. 

Hugh drew a gasping breath as Seven became the Queen.

In the Queen’s cell, Elnor saw as one light within the virtual cube in front of Seven burst white and back online with the others. 

Hugh’s voice joined the Collective: **“We are Borg”**

All at once, the Collective could sense the jettison into space of the Borg still in statis and they screamed with one voice, **“No!”**

The Queen moved the XB drones through the reawakened Cube and towards the Romulan invaders. 

_No assimilation, only elimination._

The XB drones located and eliminated the invaders to their Hive. The Queen saw the Romulan armada in the orbit of the Cube. The ships went to warp. 

The Cube could no longer sense the presence of The Others. 

**“They are gone. It’s over. The Cube is ours again.”**

The cube could no longer sense the presence of Others but one within the Queen cell next to the Queen itself. 

The voice of the Collective stopped echoing throughout the Cube. 

“So…” Elnor began quietly. “Are you going to assimilate me now?”

The Queen considered Elnor, her black eyes reflecting Elnor’s worried face. 

**“Annika still has work to do.”**

The Queen disconnected from the Collective, the Cube pulling its tendrils from her.

The XBs throughout the now empty Borg Cube were themselves and began to assist with the injured around them. 

Hugh gasped. The echo of the Collective in his brain lingered like the scent of an extinguished candle. His ocular implant focused and he examined the room. 

An XB stopped in front of Hugh, tilting their head. “Director, are you all right?” They asked. They put a reassuring hand on Hugh’s shoulder. 

Hugh saw dried blood on his own hands. His voice was hoarse when he answered, “I require medical.” The XB put their arm around Hugh while he gratefully allowed the XB to assist him. 

The XBs assisted the injured to Hugh’s office at his request. 

In the Queen’s Cell, Seven put her hand to her forehead. She felt dizzy. 

Elnor examined the virtual Cube and noticed the movement of a group of lights to the centre of the Cube. “Seven of Nine?” 

“What is it?” Seven groaned.

“Look,” Elnor pointed. “Where are they going?” 

Seven came to stand near Elnor and looked at where he was pointing. She zoomed the projection in and the lights came into closer view. There was a large group, moving slowly. 

“Looks like the XBs are assisting injured,” Seven said. “Heading for Hugh’s office.” 

Hugh smiled despite himself when he saw Seven’s ship docked. The XB assisting Hugh helped him over to the desk. Hugh leaned against it and opened a drawer to pull out his spare communicator. 

“Seven?” He called hesitantly. 

A lump rose in Elnor’s throat as he heard the voice on the communicator in the Queen’s cell. 

Seven mouthed wordlessly until she was finally able to reply, a break in her voice, “Hugh?”

Seven looked towards the kid and saw him leaving the Queen cell at a full sprint. 

“Yes. It’s me,” Hugh replied. He felt his neck and was shocked to feel just his skin, no wound. “Could you see if the replicators on this level are online? We’re going to need some medical supplies.” 

“Hugh….?” Seven said again in a small voice Hugh had never heard come from her. Less Seven and more Annika, the little girl who was assimilated on her birthday. “...are you ok?”

Hugh sat heavily on the top of his desk and hissed in pain. “I’m ok. I’m ok. Is the Romulan boy ok? Elnor? I lost him before the purge. They didn’t hurt him did they?”

An XB examined Hugh’s bloody clothing near his throat looking for a wound and finding none. 

“What happened, Seven?” Hugh asked. “Are you all right?”

The office door slid open and before it could fully part, Elnor was through the door. He scanned the XBs until his eyes fell on Hugh, seated on the desk. 

Elnor made a noise between a sob and a laugh and rushed over to Hugh, embracing him. Hugh felt Elnor’s face in his neck and the movement of his mouth as he smiled against his skin. His arms were wrapped tightly around Hugh like he was afraid of letting him go. 

Elnor pulled away but kept his hands on Hugh’s arms. “You’re alive,” Elnor gushed, his eyes shiny with unshed tears. 

“Of course I am,” Hugh replied, his face heating up. He had never been hugged before in such a way. He felt that everyone in the room could hear the beating of his racing heart. 

Elnor’s hand went to cup Hugh’s face, his fingertips brushing against the scars and the remaining implants with such care. “I saw them kill you. I couldn’t stop them.” Elnor sobs. 

Elnor meets Hugh’s eyes and Elnor kisses him with such intensity that Hugh almost falls back. Elnor only parts to say repeatedly before kissing Hugh again, “I’m sorry.” 

Hugh’s hand reaches to cup Elnor’s cheek, willing him close. He stands to reach Elnor, who holds Hugh to him, and he kisses him back. He has never kissed anyone. Maybe before in the time he cannot remember, before the Borg. 

He had been afraid of using the Queen cell’s power because he thought he would be seduced by it. He would not want to let go of the Collective and the Collective wouldn’t want him to. But here with his lips touching Elnor’s, his first kiss, he felt the pull of this new Collective. 

They part, their faces still near and Hugh is lightly panting. Elnor’s hand brushes the hair away from Hugh’s face and he traces the implant, moving to the skin. 

“It fills me with joy to see you,” Elnor whispers. 

Hugh smiles and licks his lips. Touching their foreheads together, Hugh and Elnor breathe of each other.

Seven’s voice comes through the communicator, “Not to interrupt but I just spotted a craft going after Picard’s through the wormhole…”

Hugh is brought back to himself. The XBs have begun assisting the injured, seated on the floor. 

Hugh looks at Elnor and then brings the communicator up to say, “Well let’s go after them.” 

“My ship should be ready to go,” Seven advises. 

“No,” Hugh responds. “We’ll take the Cube.”


End file.
